Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1887-04-07
The Peach sasket Question.

Editor Gazette and journal: There Is to be
another meeting OF the fruit growers at the
town hall on Saturday, April 9th. 1t is
rumored by those In position TO know
that subjects of the greatest importance
and which have not yet been touched upon
will be brought up for discussion and tet-
tlement. They are, however, kept pro-
foundly secret. From what have been
able to learn there will be very earnest
debate and generally alively time and II we
are not mistaken the resolutions which will
be passed embodylng d modification nf the
way Of presenting the peach to foreign
markets, and other cognate ide8s of ship
ping and control Of fruit by the growers,
will be calculated TO open tho eyes OF re-
ceivers and foreign buyers and take them
in the flank.
Farmers generally are very slow 10 act
and great deal slower to move In concert
OF action, but with the extraordinary efforts
that are now being made to awaken them
from rustic slsep md arrange them in line
OF battle against the New York fruit dealers,
you need not be surprised to hear OF re-
markable unaniInlty and enthusiasm on the
9th OF April, They have, truly, provocation
enough to stir them up, and out OF the
depths will come Thoughts that breathe
and words that burn"
We Just have 1t from the best authority.
that A. +. Edwards, president OF the New
York Produce Exchange has authorItatively
stated that the berry crate shall go with the
berries as gift crate. Before the farmers
have time to swallow the pill Of the gift
basket, they have another larger one in the
form Of tho gift berry crate. What next will
the New York men demand OF the farmer?
Why not ask for grain sacks to go with
the wheat or corn2 1t is the opinion OF most
Of our large peach and small fruit growers
that II this course f6 persisted In by the New
York dealers, that our strawberry and
blackberry growers will have to go out of
the business and plow up their patches.
They cannot certainly be able to give away
the berry crate, which costs In large guam
titles, for go quart crate, &1.13; for a 48
quart crate. 95 cents; for 50 quart crate,
10 cents. Here, you see, we touch point
Of most vital interest to both our berry
growers and our crate manufacturers. II
the exorbitant demand of the gift berry
crate is enforced and submitted to by our
agriculturists, the same result of disaster
to small fruit culture will be brought upon
crate manufacturers; because, II the result
to the farmer Is to plow up the berry
patches, to the latter necessarily would be
to curtal the making OF crates, 30 that
measurahly at least, the grower and the
manufacturer would be like othello-his
occupation gone.
As the great hope Of the agrlculturists In
the most OF the State of Delaware has hung
upon the peach and berry, this late blow
aimed at them has created some despon-
dency mixed with anger and spirit OF re-
taliation. They are now, for once, terribly
In earnest to organize all along the line OF
our railroad and on the Eastern Shore Of
Maryland.
At a meeting OF Talbot county fruit
growers, held In Easton, Tuesday, March
10th, Colonel Edward Lloyd, chairman, the
following resolutions were adopted:
Rssolued, That the fruitgrowers Of Eabot
county heartily eympath ~ wi h their ID sla-